Joy Drive-In
1209 N. Loop Drive,
Waco,
TX
76705
1209 N. Loop Drive,
Waco,
TX
76705
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Joy's Theaters Inc.
Architects: Bradford W. Stevens
Nearby Theaters
No theaters found within 30 miles
The Joy Drive-In opened on September 23, 1950, per a feature story in the Waco News-Tribune. It claimed to have the largest tower and screen in Texas, 45 feet above the ground, and the projection throw was 452 feet, “one of the longest in the world”.
The drive-in held 700 cars and had a large patio with tables and chairs seating 200. The architect was Bradford W. Stevens, who also designed the tower’s neon lights, which included the letters ‘JOY’ 17 feet high.
The Joy Drive-In was the eighth built by the Houck chain in 1950. It was headed by Joy N. Houck and managed by E. C. Houck. The opening program was “Caged” with Eleanor Parker and Agnes Moorehead, plus a Tom and Jerry cartoon and “Tex Williams”.
The Joy Drive-In advertised in the News-Tribune through at least the end of the 1977 season.
Contributed by
Michael Kilgore
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
Eugene Houck’s obituary (July 27, 1932 - Jan. 22, 2019) in the Waco Tribune Herald made it seem as though he didn’t stay in the business very long: “Eugene started working in the theater business. He owned the Joy Drive-In Theater and the Joy Theater downtown that was destroyed in the 1953 Waco tornado. He then went into the nursery and landscaping business with his father, Corbin Houck, starting up Westview Nursery, which has been around for over six decades.”
The drive-in was demolished sometime between 1981 and 1995. Today, it is a big, empty, and overgrown field. You can still make out the ramps.